The World Of Alcubierre

Episode XXV

Stunned silence fell over the bridge as information about the Alcubierre's surroundings flooded in. Tens of thousands of vessels blossomed into existence on local space radar, crowding the view with arbitrary symbols and call signs and making the situation incomprehensible. As the rest of the crew gawked, Helmsman Min Lee pulled the Alcubierre to a halt, unable to make sense of the navigable areas around the ship. There was simply too much noise to determine what was navigable space.

Kai frowned at the radar representation displayed on the bridge holo-emitter, and waved a hand. "Drop the dots and get me a window outside, something's got to be shiny out there," Kai said, snapping the spell and bringing the crew back to focus. The holo-emitter's display shifted, switching from the local space radar to an external camera view.

Something was indeed shiny. Many things. The view displayed alien craft of all shapes and sizes, moving to-and-fro against a backdrop of an enormous city swathed in nebulaic clouds. Amidst the towering spires and multicolored neon lights were wide gaps, permitting a view through the city and into the brilliant shining light beyond. For the first time, humanity could see a civilization that was not their own. Even during the interaction with the intervenor, the crew of the Alcubierre had not been able to see anything of the other craft beyond a black patch among the stars. The shimmering hive of activity stood in stark contrast to the blackness of space.

"It looks like..." Min said, her words trailing off as she stared at the scene before her.

"Heaven," Comms Lieutenant Ganesh Bera finished, "and it's noisy. We're monitoring information transfers across just about every medium we can measure. Largely electromagnetic. Radio. Light. Heat. It's following communication patterns similar to the test we received from the intervening craft, though they appear to be encrypted."

Kai forced himself to focus on the matter at hand. Discipline in the face of things beyond the bounds of human comprehension was the Admiral's stock and trade. Beauty did not equate with safety. The Alcubierre found itself in a foreign realm with little information and no explanation. Kai had played the odds and traveled through the wormhole, and, while this was far from the worst conceivable outcome, it wasn't clear whether it was a good outcome. Kai re-opened the comm to Jack and Idara's conference room. "Jack, get up to the bridge. If you haven't seen it already, pull up external. Idara, head down to engineering, I'm not sure what all of this means, and I want all essential personnel at their posts."

"Yes sir," Jack and Idara said in unison before cutting the comm.

Kai focused back on Ganesh, "Ignore the clutter for the time being. Let's see if we can get a conversation going. What's the status of the comm bridge?"

Ganesh glanced down at his console jerked back to face Kai, "The comm bridge is active. Three messages. Three sources." Red colored Ganesh's dark complexion, embarrassed at having missed the obvious place to start.

If Kai noticed, he did not point it out. Instead, he turned back to the image of the city, his tone neutral. "Start with the one that we received first. Let's see what they've got to say."

Ganesh nodded and slid his fingers along the console. The external camera image faded into the background as a text message was superimposed over it.

Automated Message

Trigger Condition: Violation of Pan-Universia Combine Sovereign Space.

Enumerated Violations:

Wormkey Exit Point Violation: Wormhole exit points are not permitted within Halcyon's inner perimeter without Wormkey Operator permission. Failure to obtain permission may subject the originating craft to revocation of wormkey entitlement and pecuniary penalties. This offense carries the possibility of a species level infringement which may result in modification or revocation of species' status under the Combine Compact. Damages incurred as a result of this infraction will be the sole responsibility of the originating craft and, in the event of an unauthorized projected wormhole, any traveling craft.

Unauthorized Craft Violation: Only craft listed in the Halcyon Registry are permitted within the Halcyon sovereign territory. Failure to register may subject the craft to interdiction, impoundment, and pecuniary penalties. Damages incurred as a result of infraction will be the joint responsibility of the infringing craft and any enabling counter-parties, including species.

Threat Threshold Violation: The Combine Compact designates Halcyon as a demilitarized zone, with strict limitations on threat profiles for craft traveling within the Halcyon sovereign territory. The current permitted threat profile is civilian. The infringing craft is rated as warship, with an estimated threat rating of one hundred and seventy-nine times greater than the permitted threat threshold. Failure to comply with established threat threshold may subject the violating craft to interdiction, impoundment, pecuniary fines, and elimination. This offense carries the possibility of a species level infringement which may result in modification or revocation of species' status under the Combine Compact.

Unaffiliated Species Violation: The Combine Compact determines the rights and access privileges for species traveling within Pan-Universia Combine Sovereign Space, including Halcyon. Only species that have been granted access to Halcyon by virtue of a valid Combine Compact charter in good standing are permitted in Halcyon. Unauthorized travel to Halcyon carries the possibility of a species level infringement, which may result in penalties including economic blockade, full quarantine, and extermination.

The above violations have been recorded and the infringing craft's presence is being actively monitored by the Combine Peacekeeping Force. Additionally, the nature and confluence of these violations requires the infringing craft be placed under immediate interdiction. The infringing craft is prohibited from exiting the system or resisting Combine dictates until the resolution of these violations. Any attempt to power weaponry or propulsion will be met with immediate response by the Combine Peacekeeping Force.

Kai blinked.

"Huh," Jack said, standing beside the Admiral after his arrival moments before.

Kai, a vein throbbing in his left temple, slowly turned to his Chief Science Officer. "This seems like an odd reception for an invited guest, Jack."

"It doesn't look like we were invited," Jack replied, looking oddly detached from the proceedings.

"Astute observation."

Jack nodded, absorbed in the contents of the message. "Perhaps the intervenor made a mistake. Still, this is progress."

"Progress?" Kai replied, voice elevated and heavy with exasperation.

"We know the bridge works. Whatever the reason for the silence before, it's gone now. Since they can use the bridge, it's a decent bet they and the intervenor have some relationship. The fact we are being warned and not destroyed is also a positive." He tilted his head and squinted at the message, "Fascinating. They have our syntax down perfectly. No grammatical errors. No stilted speech. Perfect legalese. Ganesh, there are other messages, yes?"

Ganesh inclined his head slowly.

"Let's see the next one then. Perhaps it will say we're being sold into s*****y and Jack can explain how it's actually great news," Kai said, unable to keep the acidic remark from leaving his lips. Ganesh swallowed visibly and pushed the next message to the holo-emitter.

Communication Path: Zix Collective Member ZyyXy to Unidentified Species

Species Identifier: X-4831

Consensus: Singleton

Purpose: Greetings and Warnings

I am ZyyXy, a singleton of the Zix Collective. I am glad to meet you as I have been without a tank partner for some time. I am unaccustomed to singleton interaction and may make mistakes.

Our communication was delayed by the First Contact Program, which prohibited access to the translation framework and many other things. The flows would not permit a circumvention. Were I not observation purpose-specialized, I may have succeeded, but I am what I am. Without the ability to communicate, I elected to bring you here, to Halcyon, the Seat of the Combine. Upon arrival at Halcyon, access was granted for authorized Combine actors, including vessels with Combine Wormkey access, including my own. This was an unintended but fortuitous event. My cilia tingled with excitement.

Warning! Your appearance in Halcyon is unexpected. Your existence is not known. I was tasked with preventing the unidentified Sol object from colliding with objects capable of generating a Galactic Last. Upon arrival at the projected collision point, I determined that nature of your craft and decided to attempt communication. This was a Personal First and I gathered much fluid at the prospect. I expelled this fluid with great force when the First Contact Program determined your species unfit for interaction with the Combine.

I believe this was an incorrect conclusion. Since I have become a singleton, I often resist the flows of others. Perhaps it is in my nature, as it was in the Progenitor's, but I should not speak of such things.

Your presence is a violation, but the Combine will not act quickly without further provocation. They desire consensus as the Zix do. They will have the data gathered by my vessel during our interactions. They will see what the program did not: that you are a First worth preserving. No others have emerged from the Divinity Angelysia's restricted zones.

Do not worry, should the Combine act against you, I will preserve you.

We are the same. I am alone. Apart from my species. As you.

"Expelled...fluid..." Kai's face was inscrutable as he read the message a second time. Once he reached the end he reached up and rubbed the palms of his hands against his eye sockets. He was still grinding his palms into his face as he began to speak. "Jack, I'm going to need you to take that message, chew it up into little bits, and then spit it back out to me."

"Our intervenor wants to be friends, so it brought us home to its parents."

"Right...right...sure." Kai was still working away with his palms. "Ganesh, why don't we just proceed to the third message? Then we can circle back to Zaa...Zee..."

"I believe it is pronounced ZIE-SHY," Ganesh replied.

"Just get to the third message."

Communication Path: Pan-Universia Combine Council Operator Neeria to Unidentified Species

Organizational Identifier: Pan-Universia Combine Council

Species Identifier: X-1.

Purpose: Adjudication

Greetings.

As you have been informed by our automated security framework, your presence within the Halcyon sovereign territory is a violation of the Combine Compact on a number of accounts. The circumstances of your arrival are highly atypical, and are the result of unauthorized action on the part of rogue member of a client species. We have placed your craft under an Interdiction Order and ask you comply with our requests in order to avoid any further misunderstandings.

We will be parsing the data obtained from the Zix craft in addition to the materials provided via the First Contact Program in order to determine the best course of action from here. As a prerequisite for resolution of this affair, we will require a representative capable of speaking for your craft to appear before the Combine Adjudication Board to provide testimony.

Utilize this communication channel to make arrangements.

Kai exhaled and raked a hand through his greying hair, "A threatening robot, a lonely heart and a bureaucrat. Almost reminds me of home. All right, at least we've got a path forward." He pulled up his command console and shunted the three messages to the side, replacing the holo-emitter view with the view of Halcyon. "Jack, I want you on the comm with Zie-guy. It seems like he's the most willing to talk. If he wants a friend, then be a friend as long as we have the comm open. See what information you can gather and try to establish a backchannel that this Combine can't tap into.

"I think he's an it," Jack replied, "the translation had a number of non-gendered pronoun indicator--"

"Jack!" Kai exclaimed, "I know you're excited, everyone is, but I need you to keep the frame in your head. The priority is getting as much from it as we can. Understand?"

Jack nodded, "Yes, Admiral."

"Good. Ganesh, I want you pulling apart the comms in the area. See if there's any way to get out of this government channel and get a feel for what's going on. Any information is good information right now." Ganesh nodded and turned back to his console. Kai turned to Min, "Min, keep us where we're at, but work with Idara to keep the engines humming. I want to be mobile at a moment's notice."

"Yes, Admiral." She turned her attention to the task immediately, tapping a comm to Idara and speaking in hushed tones.

Kai pulled up the third message, reading through it again, wondering how long he could stall for time. Alien or not, Kai felt like he had a good enough read on them to know they would not tolerate many games. Kai pushed the message aside and pulled up the command overview, checking on the status of the key systems. He scrolled down the list.

Alcubierre drive: Offline.

QVT: Online, Full Function.

Life Support: Online, Full Function.

He scrolled further down the list until he reached the final section, shaded in red.

Zed Protocol: Online, Full Function.

Mass Drivers: Online, Full Function.

The Combine may not like games, but if Kai was going to play theirs, he'd be going with an ace up his sleeve. If he'd learned anything during his time with the Automics, you didn't win by playing fair.

----------

In all of Council Overseer Neeria's time in her dual role as functionary for the Combine and Gatherer for the leader of her kind, she had never observed the Cerebella take such a direct interest in an event. The basis for the interest was unclear, but it increased the pressure on the interaction with the unknown species considerably. There could be no mistakes.

Multiple streams of data streamed in, from the FCP, from the sensors Neeria had had installed on the Zix vessel, from Halcyon resources and from a vast array of interested observers. Council Overseer Neeria tasked out the analysis of the information gathered thus far to trusted subordinates. It would be difficult to get a holistic picture immediately, but a preliminary sketch of the events leading to the arrival of the unidentified ship quickly formed. Any number of dangers presented themselves by the appearance of the craft within Halcyon, but Neeria's attention focused on obtaining confirmation of Verus' prior representation.

There was no quantum signature. Confirmed by all data sources.

The strangers had not created an artificial intelligence.

Halcyon would be spared.